Novel Sensations
by Skydark
Summary: Ling wanders back into the scene after Al gets restored.


It was just like him to show up unexpectedly. He had always had a talent for appearing out of the woodwork, no matter the locale, and the fact he'd found this out of the way place surprised no one at all. He leaned back against the rough wall of the small house and watched a highly trained and rebellious young pharmacist tend to the figured sitting up in the bed.

He'd started his merry band a little after returning from his journey, made up of free thinkers and outcasts, much like himself, no casts or ranks recognized among them. No place of birth put one before the other and he was only leader for the fact he could actually lead and well, he started the group.

He'd returned, band in tow, some while ago to continue a search abandoned by others, most notably by the figure on the bed. He no longer needed the results, but the rogue prince was still interested.

"I read a story once, about a band like this," Alphonse Elric said, nodding to the young xingian medic when he finished up. "A man of noble birth taking from the rich to give to the poor."

The prince grinned, still leaning on the wall, arms folded.

"I suppose I need to start thinking of myself as poor," Ling Yao replied easily, "it won't be much different than how I've thought of myself in the past."

Cho, the pharmacist turned to the prince and spoke in xingian. The prince nodded and Cho gave Al a half smile then departed the room, leaving Al to lean back on the headboard in a casual imitation of Ling's attempts to hold up the wall.

"So what brings royalty like you to see a criminal-in-hiding like me," Al asked. The prince just continued his grin, shrugged and pushed off the wall, padded over and flopped down on the foot of Al's bed. He lay on his side, elbow up, cheek in palm of his hand.

"I don't suppose saying I was in the neighborhood would be believed. Truth be known I heard a rumor from a certain Colonel who just happened to be in a certain bar one certain night when I was certainly there with the intent to get alcohol or information. The Colonel certainly likes xingian girls, but saw through my disguise quickly," the prince grumbled.

"Wait a minute, you were in a bar in drag and ran into Colonel Mustang," Al asked, incredulous.

"Imagine my surprise," the prince said, "get a little drink in the man and he'll put his hand on anyone's ass."

"Why would you be in a bar...wait, were you spying on the Colonel?" Al demanded.

"Guilty," the prince said, "but in my defense it was because I wanted to find the two of you. And my curiosity was piqued of course, I'm so use to you being large and silver. I must say, your new look really suits you."

"I would hope so," Al sighed. "I wasn't sure what you'd think of my retro look but I'm glad you approve."

It was then the door crashed open and Ed stuck his head in, hanging onto the door jamb on either side and leaning into the room.

"Is Prince Freak bothering you?" he asked, overlooking Ling completely and focusing his eyes on Al. "I'll be happy to toss his mooch ass out, you just give me the word," Ed continued to his younger brother and then he let his gaze settle on Ling. "I'm watching you," he told the Xingian and then pointed at him with his automail finger and bared his teeth a little.

"That's alright, Ranfan is watching you," Ling said airily and the scooted over to flop on Al's legs. "Alphonse adores me, he has good sense."

"For your information, Ranfan and I have come to an agreement," and Ed grinned back. "We've been flexing automail muscle at one another outside and I can say with confidence she's more than impressed."

Ling sat up then, leaning back on his hands next to Al.

"Why Edward, do you have a crush on my ninja?" he asked brightly. "I think I might approve of such a match. It would only be natural she would lead you around by your nose and then you'd have to do my bidding to make her happy, because we both know how she likes to keep me happy."

Ed just hung there in the doorway for a moment, jaw moving and nothing coming out. Then he shoved back violently, taking himself out of the room. He pointed at Ling again, making several stabbing motions with his steel finger then slammed the door resoundingly.

"Ah, young love," Ling said, looking over at Alphonse.

"You really delight in pushing his buttons," Al said with a shake of the head. "It's like you practice during out times apart to have a fresh repertoire when we meet again."

"Anything for the two of you," Ling said, giving Al a pat on his thigh.

An agreement was reached as agreements often where. Al wasn't going anywhere, could use a pharmacist and some guards and Ling's little band needed a base of operations. This being said Ed and Al found themselves unwittingly absorbed into Ling's ranks, protesting all the while they were not really Ling's recruits.

But more and more, as time moved by them, Al found he much preferred it when Ling was in residence than when he was not. The prince often spent his waking evening hours in Al's company, with a story or game or research question and Al was growing rather use to his confidences and speculations. Also, Alphonse was learning Xingian, a fascinating and ancient language he considered it some for of equivalence when he would translate ancient texts and discuss numerous rumors of immortality with the prince.

There came the inevitable to pass when Ed accompanied Ranfan on a errand and Ling volunteered to stay behind lest Ed think that Ling was trying to be the boss, and they all knew how well that would go over. The team decided they could use the exercise as well and for the first time since he'd returned into the Elric brother's lives, Ling found himself with Alphonse, alone.

"Now you have no excuse not to tell me all the dirty you've heard about me from Cho and the others," Ling grinned, bouncing onto the bed beside Al. "I know they talk, I just want to know if they think I'm a god leader or a good comedian, either is fine!" And he grinned at Al and attempted to bat his eyelashes, but really, he had none, so it looked like he was squinting extra hard.

"Now why would I do that," Al said, "they are all my good friends and I don't gossip. You're the gossip, you and Ed. All you two ever did was gossip. I tried to stay out of it. Why don't you ask Ed what they're saying about you?"

"Ed will say hurtful things and I won't know if they are true," Ling sighed, then he stretches extravagantly and tilted himself over until he fell into Al's lap, and lay there, looking up at him.

"I feel this should be the beginning of a joke," Al said. "Two people walk into a bar, one has a prince in his lap."

"I'm adorable, I know; irresistible, too," Ling wiggles a little, turned his head so he could press his nose against Al's stomach.

Al leaned back against the headboard, folded his arms, looking down at the prince who noticed he was looking at him, grinned harder and nosed his stomach more.

"Points for being adorable," Al said, "I'll give you that. But what I really want to know is your true motives behind this blatant come on. Is it just a matter of convenience, I'm here, we're alone?"

Ling threw an arm over his eyes.

"You wound me! All my intents are noble, I'm a prince," Ling protested. "And you were sick before, what kind of dog hits on a sick man?"

"You do have a point," Al said, rubbing on his chin.

"I have several points," the prince grinned, "some of them are even good."

"So you are leading me to believe you've had interest in me, before all this?" and Al waggled his finger up and down over his chest. "That means you had some sort of amour fetish?"

Ling was looking up at Al as if perhaps Al, upon getting his flesh and blood body back had managed to achieve the ability to grow a second head.

"Alphonse," Ling said in his best, wounded tones, "I am Xingian. That implies right there I am a man of spiritual mysticism. I had interest in your soul, the encasing didn't matter. Here I thought you were also somewhat sensitive, at last between you and the mud brick you have as a brother."

Al studied him then, eyes narrowing slightly. He finally let go of a breath and inclined his head.

"My apologies, Prince, but you are right," he said, "I let Ed rub off on me and he has all the sensitivity of week dead road kill. I guess I'm just surprised is all; I mean, I didn't think I was your type."

"I have many, many types, I'm a man of diversity," the prince grinned. "Type actually doesn't enter into it," Ling tapped his own lower lip.

"I would hope breathing and body heat would," Al said wryly.

The Prince sat up then, but then he leaned into Al, putting his hands on the bed at either side of Al's hips and getting nose to nose with him.

"What is it like to be back in the waking world? I don't mean in the sense of being aware, you have more awareness than anyone in the country at the moment, of that I have no doubt; what I mean is in terms of the flesh?"

Al couldn't sit back any further, his back was to the headboard as it was and he could literally feel the body head radiating off of Ling and he could feel the slight pressure of Ling's breath against his upper lip. Sometimes, if he listened hard enough he thought he could hear people's heart beating. There was so much he missed when he was deprived sensation and it felt like now all his nerve endings were doing overtime to catch up.

"I would say it's just like old times," Al said slowly. "But really, if you want a pat analogy it's like being born again. Like everything is new and intense."

"And what new/old experiences have you cataloged so far?" the prince asked, tilting his head slightly. "As my very good friend I wouldn't want you deprived, so I offer my services, be it as it may, to help you transition back into the flesh."

"Cut the bullshit Ling, if you want to kiss me like you're broadcasting from here to Xing then do it," Al said. Ling responded in two ways to any direct challenge of his wit. He either put his money where his mouth was or he beat a hasty retreat.

Al closed his eyes as Ling leaned into him and his lips felt rough and soft and hot and tingling as the prince saw fit to make good on his promises.

When Ling sat back and tilted his head, Al licked his lips and ran over his internal check list of all the things he thought a kiss should be. First it has been a bit heart pounding, saying and doing where of course two entirely different things and the doing of the saying was a little bit exciting, so that was good.

Secondly, Ling seemed to be a pretty good kisser. The kiss hadn't been rushed or to hard or two soft, but Al had a limited data base as far as kissing went, so he was just going to go on faith that Ling, being a prince and therefore theoretically having some experience was a good kisser.

Thirdly, well, he liked Ling. He had always liked Ling, even when Ling hadn't been his usual self in the days of their adventures. Ling despite wanting everyone to think he was some kind of carefree and easy going prince, was in fact a true friend. He'd stuck by them even in his own self serving needs and had shown gratitude and faithfulness that made him someone to want to be friends with; and Al though he was pretty good looking, so that didn't hurt.

"You didn't like it," Ling said in a voice that made Al think of small children being told there would be no dessert after dinner.

"No, I did," Al reassured him, "it's just I've never really kissed anyone before, and I was just sorting it all out. I did like it, you're good at it, I guess I want to know honestly why you want to kiss me, that's all."

"I want to kiss you because I like you," the prince grinned. "In this you are just like your brother, you can never take anything or anyone at face value. There is no complicated agenda here Alphonse, I kissed you because I like you and you're cute and well, I like you. Is that so hard to believe?"

"I guess not," Al said with a half smile. "I guess maybe we should do this again so I get a good sampling of what kissing is like should I do it with anyone else in the future."

"Why would you do it with anyone else, just do it with me," Ling purred, leaning forward to press his lips over Al's again. This of course was the most opportune moment for Ed to return and of course, he did, throwing the door open and holding a bag aloft.

"Hey Al! I brought you some...," but his brother's voice trailed off and Al couldn't see him anyway, being blocked by Ling's head and his mouth being busy being attached to Ling's. But Ling pulled back with a sigh and gave his head a little shake.

"I thought it would take them longer," he said to Al, regretfully, then he leaped off the bed before Ed's automail blade landed there and rolled over Al's prone body and made for the window. Ed dropped the sack of greasy and bad for you food Al had been craving for the last week in Al's lap and vaulted after the prince.

"Don't kill him!" Al yelled after Ed's ass as it disappeared out the window. He dug into the bag to pull out the fried pie wrapped in wax paper. "I have other things I think I'd like him to be my first experience at, too," Al said to himself and stuffed the fried pie in his mouth.


End file.
